1 Kings 13
1 Kwavela ngaleso sikhathi kwaJuda umuntu kaNkulunkulu, ethunywe nguSimakade, waya eBhethele. UJerobhowamu wayemi e-althare ukuba ashise impepho.
2 Wakhuluma kulelo althare ngezwi likaSimakade, wathi: “Althare, althare, usho kanje uSimakade kuwe, uthi: ‘Kuzozalwa umntwana endlini kaDavide, igama lakhe nguJosiya. Uyonikela phezu kwakho ngabaphristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo abashisa impepho phezu kwakho, bashise namathambo abantu phezu kwakho.’ ”
3 Wabanika isibonakaliso ngalolo lusuku, wathi: “Nasi isibonakaliso uSimakade asishoyo, uthi: i-athare liyakudatshulwa, kuthi umlotha ophezu kwalo uchithwe.”
4 Kwathi ukuba inkosi ikuzwe lokho okwashiwo ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu nge-althare eBhethele, uJerobhowamu waphakamisa isandla sakhe ese-althare, wathi: “Mbambeni.” Kepha isandla asiphakamisayo sashwabana akabe esakwazi ukusifinyeza.
5 I-althare ladabuka, umlotha owawukulo wachitheka njengokwesibonakaliso esasishiwo yilowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ngezwi likaSimakade.
6 Inkosi yayisithi kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu: “Ake unginxusele kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, ungikhulekele ukuba isandla sami siphile.” Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wayinxusela inkosi kuSimakade, saphila isandla sayo, saba njengakuqala.
7 Inkosi yayisithi kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu: “Woza siye ekhaya, uzihlumelele, ngizakukupha nesipho.”
8 Kepha lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wathi enkosini: “Noma unganginika ingxenye yendlu yakho, angisoze ngaya lapho nawe, futhi angiyukudla sinkwa noma ngiphuze amanzi kule ndawo.
9 Ngayalwa kanjalo yizwi likaSimakade, lathi: ‘Awuyukudla sinkwa, awuyukuphuza manzi, futhi awuyukubuya ngendlela obuhambe ngayo.’ ”
10 Waphindela emuva ngenye indlela, akahambanga ngendlela ayeze ngayo eBhethele.
11 EBhethele kwakuhlala umphrofethi owayesemdala. Kwafika kuye indodana yakhe, yamlandisa yonke imisebenzi lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ayeyenze ngalolo lusuku eBhethele, ngisho namazwi ayewasho enkosini. Uyise esezwile ngalokho,
12 wathi kuwo: “Uhambe ngayiphi indlela?” Amadodana ayebonile ukuthi uthathe yiphi indlela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owayevela kwaJuda.
13 Wayesethi emadodaneni akhe: “Ngibopheleleni imbongolo.” Ayesembophelela yona, wayigibela.
14 Wamlandela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, wamthola ehleli phansi komu-okhi, wayesethi kuye: “Wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda yini na?” Wathi: “Nginguye.”
15 Wayesethi kuye: “Asihambe siye ekhaya, uthole ukudla.”
16 Kepha wathi: “Anginakuphindela emuva nawe, anginakungena nawe kwakho, futhi angiyukudla sinkwa noma ngiphuze amanzi nawe kule ndawo,
17 ngokuba uSimakade wathi kimi ngezwi lakhe: ‘Awuyukudla sinkwa, awuyukuphuza manzi lapho, futhi awuyukubuya ngendlela obuhambe ngayo.’ ”
18 Umphrofethi wayesethi kuye: “Nami ngingumphrofethi njengawe, kodwa kukhulume ingelosi kaNkulunkulu, yathi: ‘Mbuyise nawe, eze endlini yakho ukuze athole isinkwa, aphuze namanzi.’ ” Kepha umphrofethi wayeqamba amanga.
19 Lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wabuya nalowo mphrofethi, wafika endlini yakhe wadla isinkwa, waphuza namanzi.
20 Kwathi besahlezi etafuleni, kwafika izwi likaSimakade kumphrofethi owambuyisa;
21 wamemeza kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owayevele kwaJuda, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Njengoba ungalalelanga izwi likaSimakade, ungawugcinanga umyalo uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngawo,
22 kodwa ubuyele emuva, wadla isinkwa, waphuza amanzi endaweni akhuluma ngayo kuwe ukuba ungadli sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi, isidumbu sakho asiyukungeniswa ethuneni lokhokho bakho.’ ”
23 Kwathi eseqedile ukudla isinkwa nokuphuza, lowo mphrofethi owayembuyisile wambophelela imbongolo wagoduka.
24 Esesendleleni ibhubesi lahlangana naye, lambulala, isidumbu sakhe satshingwa endleleni, imbongolo yakhe yema eduze kwaso, kanjalo nebhubesi lama eceleni kwaso.
25 Bheka, abantu ababedlula bebona isidumbu sidindilize endleleni, kumi ibhubesi eceleni kwaso, bafike bakhuluma ngakho lokhu emzini ayehlala kuwo lowo mphrofethi omdala.
26 Kwathi angakuzwa lokho umphrofethi owayembuyise endleleni, wathi: “Lowo ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ongazange alalele izwi likaSimakade, yingakho uSimakade emnikele engonyameni yamdwengula, yambulala njengalokhu uSimakade eshilo kuye.”
27 Wayesethi emadodaneni akhe: “Ngibopheleleni imbongolo.” Ayibophela.
28 Wahamba wasifica isidumbu sidindilize endleleni, kumi imbongolo nengonyama eceleni kwaso. Ingonyama yayingasidlanga isidumbu, futhi ayiyidwengulanga nembongolo.
29 Umphrofethi wasithatha isidumbu somuntu kaNkulunkulu wasikhweza embongolweni, wabuya naso, wasiyisa emzini womphrofethi omdala, ukuze amlilele, futhi amngcwabe.
30 Wasibeka isidumbu ethuneni lakhe, bamlilela, bathi: “Maye, mfowethu!”
31 Kwathi esemngcwabile, wathi kumadodana akhe: “Lapho sengifile ningingcwabe ethuneni okungcwatshwe kulo umuntu kaNkulunkulu, amathambo ami niwabeke eceleni kwawakhe.
32 Ngokuba izwi alimemezelayo ngokusho kukaSimakade kulo i-althare eBhethele nakuzo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezisemizini eSamariya, impela liyokwenzeka.”
33 Emveni kwalokho uJerobhowamu akaphendukanga endleleni yakhe embi, kodwa waqhubeka wabeka abaphristi ezindaweni eziphakemeyo ngangomumo wabantu. Noma ngubani owayethanda, wayehlukaniselwa ukuba abe ngumphristi wendawo ephakemeyo.
34 Le nto yaba yisono kuyo indlu kaJerobhowamu kangangokuthi yabhujiswa, yachithwa ebusweni bomhlaba.